Safer Safeguarding is Everyone s Responsibility Together we can build a Safer Church Contents The Church of England s National Safeguarding Team Newsletter Autumn 2015, 3 rd Edition Spring 2015 Edition This newsletter is primarily written for Diocesan Safeguarding Advisors, but parts of it will be relevant for Diocesan Secretaries, senior staff within dioceses as well as Parish Safeguarding Officers. Introduction Graham Tilby, National Safeguarding Advisor Towards a Safer Church Transformation Plan 2016-17 National Context National Safeguarding Framework SPECIAL Report Learning & Development Framework Diocesan Context DSA Day Quality Assurance External Audits Chairs Network PARISH CONTEXT Looking Ahead: Key dates for diaries What else is coming up? Foreword from National Safeguarding Advisor Welcome to the 3 rd edition of the s Newsletter, Safer, especially to those colleagues who have begun working or volunteering for the Church of England in a safeguarding capacity in the last few months. Over the past few weeks, the Church has again been under the media spotlight following high profile cases which highlight the need to continue to look back into the past with rigour to identify possible victims of abuse and lessons that the Church needs to learn to support its work in the future. At the same time, whilst acknowledging with humility the failures of the past, we must with boldness strive to build a safer church for the future, where safeguarding is not something that we do to people but part of our DNA. This will take time and perseverance and a willingness to re-build the trust and confidence that for some the Church has lost. One of the key aims of this newsletter is to outline some of the developments that when knitted together form part of a wider national safeguarding framework, which aims to accelerate improvement and bring greater consistency to safeguarding practice across all 42 dioceses. Whatever your view about the statement in the image to the right, and I m sure we can find some shortcuts, this will be a long journey and one that I believe is worth taking for the sake of the Church and for the good of our nation. Graham Tilby National safeguarding Team Job Opportunities Towards a Safer Church Transformation Plan 2015-18 SafE - Safeguarding Everyone - Autumn 2015 Graham Tilby National Safeguarding Advisor Safer Autumn 2015 Edition Page 1 National Safegu
The Towards a Safer Church Transformation Plan for 2016 has 4 strategic objectives: To deal effectively with the legacy of the past to ensure that non-current cases are responded to well and lessons identified and learnt. To implement a national safeguarding framework that promotes greater consistency of current and future safeguarding practices across the Church of England. To develop and implement more effective ways of engaging survivors in the development and improvement of Church of England safeguarding arrangements. To embed safeguarding as everyone s responsibility and as part of the DNA of the Church of England in the long-term. The diagram below illustrates the need to work in a holistic way across the domains of the past, present and future and within the different parish, diocesan and national contexts. It emphasises the need to approach safeguarding through promotion and prevention, as well as through protective action and effective responses. For more information about the Towards a Safer Church Transformation Plan please contact Safer Autumn 2015 Edition Page 2
Safer - Safeguarding Everyone - Autumn 2015 NATIONAL CONTEXT National Safeguarding Framework This section provides brief up-dates in respect of key components of the National Safeguarding Framework: Regulations to support Safeguarding Measures Regulations are currently being drafted to support Canon 30.1 in respect of the appointment of DSAs and Canon C 30.3 in respect of risk assessments. Informal consultation has taken place with DSAs and Chairs of Diocesan Safeguarding Groups. The draft regulations are due to be presented to the House of Bishops in December 2015. Quality Assurance, Self-Assessment & Audit The pilot phase of the external Quality Assurance audit programme will be evaluated on 12 November, culminating in an Evaluation Report and publication of the 4 diocesan reports. The programme for roll-out across 2016 and 2017 has now been announced. In addition, other planned activity includes a combined diocesan self-assessment and annual return (2015) and a Parish Safeguarding audit. National & Diocesan Protocols New protocols are to be developed to support the interface between the national safeguarding team and dioceses. The protocols will focus on information-sharing, escalation, handling of complaints and whistle-blowing. jane.dodds@churchofengland.org Strengthen engagement with Survivors An independently chaired Management Board is being established to oversee the development of the Safe Spaces Pilot Project. The National Safeguarding Team are planning to appoint to a Survivors Engagement Officer to lead Safe Spaces and establish a Survivors Panel as part of the development of an overarching Survivors Engagement Strategy. It is envisaged that the post will be hosted by an external national organisation. Theology & Safeguarding The Faith and Order Commission have developed two papers in respect of theology & safeguarding. Paper 1 will be presented to the House of Bishops Standing Committee in November; Paper 2 which focuses on forgiveness and reconciliation is still under development. Jeremy.worthen@churchofengland.org National Policies & Practice Guidance Work has now commenced on revising the Church of England s key policies on safeguarding children and adults into a single policy Protecting All God s People. Alongside this, the practice guidance on responding to domestic abuse and sexual abuse is also being up-dated, with a plan that all 3 documents be formally consulted upon in the New Year and presented to House of Bishops for approval in May 2016. Safer Autumn 2015 Edition Page 3
SPECIAL REPORT Consultation Response to Learning & Development Framework Thank you to all of you who took the time to either individually or collecting response to the consultation we issued in respect of the practice guidance concerning the proposal for a national Learning & Development Framework. There were a total of 34 respondents to the consultation, 13 of which were individual, and 21 combined responses, in total covering 27 dioceses. The consultation exercise posed 9 questions across 3 areas approach, strategy and implementation. The key outcomes were as follows. Approach: 100% commitment to the need for consistent national framework. 79% consider it should be issued as practice guidance. Strong agreement on core standardisation of aims and objectives and core materials, with scope for adaptation to meet the needs of localities and participants, and to reflect the skills and strengths of trainers. Strategy: General but qualified agreement with the scope of modules, with suggestions for how materials can be combined or restructured strong call for safer recruitment to be brought to 2016. Additional modules suggested, in particular sexual abuse, offender management and development of blended e-learning. General but qualified agreement with learning aims and objectives, with concern that these should be rooted in faith/belief; that aims should be consistent and focused; that objectives should be skill- rather than knowledge-based and reduced in number. General affirmation for the expectations of roles, with concerns that what is essential or mandatory should be revisited for some roles, flexibility regarding the mode of delivery and that modules should avoid repetition. Implementation: Feedback indicates that there is already preparation and commitment for implementation in 20 dioceses, and in Cathedrals. Phased implementation is welcomed, but there is concern about adequacy of resourcing to deliver; in some dioceses this will require a substantial increase to implement the framework. Inevitably this depends upon the starting point of current training delivery. The Practice Guidance has been revised to take account of the consultation feedback and agreed by the House of Bishops Safeguarding Monitoring & Reference Sub-Group on 9 October 2015. The group endorsed recommendations from the Training & Development Working Group to progress work in 2016 on blended e-learning and a transition plan to assist some dioceses with implementation. The final version will be presented to the House of Bishops in December 2015. For more information about the Learning & Development Framework or for a full copy of the practice guidance contact jill.sandham@churchofengland.org Safer - Safeguarding Everyone - Autumn 2015 Safer Autumn 2015 Edition Page 4
SafE - Safeguarding Everyone - Autumn 2015 DIOCESAN CONTEXT DSA Day at Lambeth Palace The last DSA Day took place at Lambeth Palace on 7 October. The programme included an overview of key national developments, an opportunity to hear from two dioceses that took part in the QA pilots, learning from casework, the first of our survivors perspective talks from MACSAS and a series of focus groups on The Seal of the Confession, Regulations concerning the DSA and Risk Assessment and Past Cases Review. As a result of this event, the will: Incorporate key messages from DSAs and MACSAS into development of regulations, practice guidance, training and communications planning. Consider how best to take forward proposals for a Past Cases Review in the light of feedback from DSAs. For more information contact Quality Assurance External Audits The national safeguarding team wishes to thank the 4 dioceses Blackburn, Durham, Portsmouth & Salisbury for piloting the quality assurance external audits conducted by SCIE. Feedback about the experience as a learning exercise has been positive. A more formal evaluation is taking place which will culminate in the publication of a report alongside the 4 pilot diocesan reports. The national safeguarding team will also publish further guidance to dioceses to assist them in preparing for the audit process. In the meantime, please don t hesitate to contact the 4 DSAs if you would like to know more about their experience. For more information contact Chairs Network Chairs of Diocesan Safeguarding Panels met for the first time with the on 21 October at Lambeth Palace. A total of 20 dioceses were represented. The session considered ways of standardising the terms of reference for diocesan safeguarding panels and the appointment and function of their chairs, as well as opportunities to strengthen the interface between the chairs and the national safeguarding team. The Chairs were also given an opportunity to contribute to the development of regulations in respect of DSAs and risk assessment practice and a discussion with regards to the need and potential scope of a Past Cases Review. As a result of this event, the will: Develop further thinking on the functions, membership and Chairs of the Diocesan Safeguarding Groups and the level of prescription required to improve consistency in the light of feedback received. Incorporate the views of Chairs into the development of regulations in respect of DSAs and Risk Assessments, and thinking in respect of a Past Cases Review. Include Chairs of Panels in communications to DSA (where appropriate) and identify opportunities for their direct engagement in nationally-led work. Nurture the development of regional Chairs Networks and convene a further national network event in 2016. For more information contact Safer Autumn 2015 Edition Page 5
SafE - Safeguarding Everyone - Autumn 2015 PARISH CONTEXT The is acutely aware of the need to support dioceses to support parishes, who are very much at the frontline of recognising and responding to safeguarding concerns, which includes making sure that national policies and guidance, is translated into key messages for people in our parishes. I had the pleasure of attending the Diocese of Guildford Safeguarding Conference for Parish Safeguarding Officers on Saturday 3 October it was encouraging to meet with people from a range of backgrounds, some with considerable professional experience in the field, like Elizabeth, who continue to volunteer their skills and time as Parish Safeguarding Officers. During 2016, there will be an opportunity for parishes and dioceses to engage in a consultation exercise with regards to developing a safer church. This will form a key component of our prevention strategy. Looking Ahead: Key Dates for Diaries Induction Session for New DSAs 26 November 2015, Church House, Westminster Safeguarding & Communications Workshop For Diocesan & National Communications Officers 18 November 2015, London Joint National Safeguarding Conference Changing Culture 2-4 February 2016, The Radisson Hotel, West Bromwich DSA Day Wednesday 27 April 2016, Bishopthorpe Palace, York What else is coming up? September December 2015 Publication of QA Audit Evaluation Report and Reports from Pilots January March 2016 DBS e-bulk procurement Consultation on national policies & practice guidance Commencing work on development of national/diocesan protocols Jane.dodds@churchofengland.org Scoping work in respect of a Past Cases Review Procurement of Safe Spaces pilots Job Opportunities Training & Development Officer (Band 2) - 49,856 per annum rising to 52,868 upon successful completion of probation Interviews on 2 December 2015 Provincial Safeguarding Casework Officer (Band 3) - 40,865 per annum rising to 45,308 upon successful completion of probation Interviews on 9 th December 2015 (York) and 10 th December 2015 (London) Closing Date for applications 25 November 2015 For more information go to https://www.churchofengland.org/about-us/vacancies.aspx Email - Office: 020 7898 1330 The Archbishops Council, Church House, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3AZ Safer Autumn 2015 Edition Page 6